Forgotten Past
by the littlest dinosaur
Summary: He left her ten years ago after something awful happened, though she doesnt remember any of it. What happens when he catapults into her life again? Will she remember him? Will it matter?
1. Chapter 01

**Forgotten Past**

By: the littlest dinosaur

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from that anime series, but I do own the original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

**[Begin chapter one]**

-----

"I don't know how long it has been. Ten years, maybe? The time does not matter much.

"My life changed since I supposedly hit my head. It is all they talk about whenever I want to remember my past. I remember my immediate family: my dad and two older sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki. How could I forget them? They have had and still have a large impact on my life and have all helped me throughout these past years. For that, I am forever indebted to them. 

"Kasumi has finally married Dr. Tofu. It took him a while to get over his foggy-glass state, but in the end, I am sure it was worth it for the both of him. They live at his clinic, and Kasumi helps him whenever she can. They have a daughter, Michiko, who is graduating from Furikan this year, which makes the entire family swell with joy. 

"Kasumi tells me I was quite a tomboy who had many... admirers and couldn't cook to save my life. I laugh when she tells me because I have gotten much better. My boys do not have to choke it down and usually compliment my hard-earned skill. Sometimes, when my sister and I reminisce together, she says a strangely familiar name. I know it means a lot to me, but it hurts to hear it. My heart seems like it would break into a thousand pieces, but Kasumi does not know how much it hurts. I would not want to be a burden on her. She does have a family and clinic to run, and I do not need her to know about a silly heartache.

"Nabiki went on and became a successful business woman, as we all knew she would, and even I remember that. She married Kuno and had wisely invested his fortune before he could spend it all. Sometimes he talks about how I was his 'tigress,' and his attempts to free me from a 'sorcerer.' He has a great sense of humor when he is not spouting foreign poetry. We hardly see her anymore because she is usually on her business trips. Kuno tags along with her since he has nothing better to do. They sold his mansion since it was too large for the two of them. Nabiki says that Kodachi, Kuno's sister, lives far away and cannot hurt me, although why she would is beyond me. Whenever I ask anyone, they just smile and pat my shoulder. It is very irritating sometimes, but they want the best for me, I suppose. Nabiki is still a large benefactor to the dojo but does not charge because it is a donation which helps her when its tax time.

"Dad, from what I can remember, is the same. He loves to play shoji and has tried countless times, unsuccessfully, to teach me the game. I keep him company often when I am not working as a teller at the Nerima branch of the national bank. Yes, I still live at home and with my sons. 

"Oh, my sons: Sano and Seiji. They are the loves of my life. I do not think I would be here if it were not for those two rascals. Sano is seventeen, a junior in high school, while Seiji is a sophomore and fifteen years old. They both go to Furikan High, my alma mater. The school has changed from the pictures that are in my yearbooks. I look so youthful, but the images are not familiar to me. Whenever I have time, I page through the annuals, trying to remember what was stolen from my memory. Sometimes my eyes stray to one picture alone: Ranma Saotome. I tell myself it is because he is Sano and Seiji's hero, a martial artist, maybe the greatest. They talk about him all the time and have pictures of him everywhere, the same cocky blue eyes smiling back.

"Sano is tall, about five feet eleven inches with the bluest eyes, I have ever seen. His hair is short and obsidian black. His brother, Seiji, is six feet one inch, has hazel eyes and the same dark colored hair in almost the same style as his brother. Whenever I look at them, a feeling of sadness washes over me, and sometimes I can feel tears forming in my eyes. I can never pinpoint the cause, but their eyes remind me of someone I knew once, I think. No one tells me because they believe I cannot handle the truth. It makes me angry and incredibly sad knowing that they think I am unstable. I have made it this far, have I not? Enough about them, this is not about trust... at least I do not think so.

"I have taught my sons the art I learned when I was younger, or at least what I remember of it, and they have both surpassed me. I encourage them to go to different schools to learn different styles of fighting, but they are dedicated to our school, surprisingly, and girls more than to the art. It does not bother me much. They should live their life the way they deem fit.

"I flip through my high school senior year annual only to land on a page with a picture that always puzzled me. My eyebrows knit in confusion as my gaze falls upon this picture of me and my sons' hero. Why would I be in a picture with him? Did I know him? Why did I look so angry? Why is he so happy? Why do I feel so sad?" 

A middle-aged woman sits quietly at a desk reading a book that looks like a diary. Tears threaten to fall from her wonderfully brown eyes before she quickly brushed them away. Her hair, a black color, is secured in a loose bun and the rest cascades down her back almost covering a yellow and orange sundress. A knock startles her from her book, and she brushes more tears off her rosy cheeks.

The woman shut the book before more emotions bubble up to her face. There is a knock again, more insistent this time. She glanced at a digital alarm clock, noticing for the first time that it is five in the afternoon, a Saturday. She gracefully rose from the floor and shuffle to the door to let the visitor in.

She floats to the door with a questioning look graced upon her face. She opens the Western styled door to reveal a very tall young man with hazel eyes and short black hair. He is wearing a blue plaid button-up shirt with black long shorts. He graces the woman with a loving smile.

"Seiji," the woman smiled while embracing him, "What brings you here this afternoon?"

He gave her a larger smile and took a seat on a _zabuton_ across from her. His messy hair makes the woman smile as he rakes his hand through in thought. Her smile implies she knows he wants something, and she watches him with amusement.

"Mother, what are you doing on the Wednesday of next week? Do you have work?" his eyes flicker quickly over the forgotten book she had placed on her sparsely covered desk. She does not notice her son's gaze as she sits, trying to remember her work schedule for next week.

"I believe I am off on that day," she stated after a moment of silence. "Why?"

Seiji starts to fidget, "I was wondering if you would like to come to 'Career Day' and talk about your job to the students in an assembly."

The woman gave a warm smile, "Of course, if it is what you desire, then so it shall be."

His face lights up with happiness as he moves to embrace the older woman in his warm hug. She returned his sign of affection with a small squeeze and gave him a kiss on his forehead. She pulls away and studies him further, and her 'mother-sense' seems to kick in.

"Is that all?" She asked while pulling away and holding him at arms length. "You do not usually act so..." She paused in search of an appropriate word to make her son blush, "Tame."

He blushes scarlet and starts to fidget again. It is obvious he wants something, and the woman smiles in amusement.

"Can I have some money?" The woman smile turns into a stern look that he flinches under. "It's for a date I have tonight, I swear!"

His hazel eyes plead to her in a sad puppy-dog fashion. How could she, or anyone else, say no to that adorable face?

With a sigh, she reached for her wallet as he gave a yell of joy. After much shuffling, she handed him a ten thousand yen bill, which he grabs before jumping around with joy, giving her a kiss on the cheek and bounding out of the room. Seiji almost bowled over an older looking young man wearing a tank top and board shorts, as the latter boy was walking down the hall toward the bathroom to shower. It looked as if he had been in the dojo working out. The older boy gave the younger a scowl and a punch before continuing on his route. Seiji didn't seem to notice as he practically bounced off the walls toward his room to prepare for his date.

The woman smiled at their antics and stood to go to the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner.

-----

"She deserves to know."

"I don't think she'd be able to handle the truth!"

"How do you know that? She has changed over these past years! She has matured, and she deserves to know. _Kami_ knows she keeps asking, and I don't think I can hold out much longer."

"No! She cannot know. What do you think she would do if she found out? Eh? Do you think she would be _happy_? I don't think so."

"What are you talking about? You want her for yourself! At the beginning, you were not even part of the picture, much less the story. You have no say in this! Why did I even bother asking _you_?!"

A growl, "Maybe it is because I am the only one who has gotten close to her these past years. Even though she has lost the memories of her youth does not mean she does not deserve to be happy now! It means she deserves more! You should know this! He left on his own and _is not coming back_. He's probably dead by now." Silence. "Don't tell me you believe he will be good to her! After all this time, he should have come back, but he has not! He will _never_ return! He made an empty promise! Don't hurt her more by telling her that."

Silence.

"You don't know what you're doing to her now. All you can think of is how you won her. Illegally at that, too. I know what you are doing, trying to snake in your way to her heart. You're lucky she didn't find out about who you _really_ are in the past because if she did, then I doubt you'd be here arguing with me now."

A soft voice glided between the other two, "I believe she deserves to know what has happened to her in the past. You cannot keep her from it. It is part of her and her being, even if she cannot remember." Pause. "You know this, Ryouga. Do not hide what is the truth."

The man, Ryouga, huffed as he crossed his burly arms and looks away. He has shaggy black hair that is graying on the sides. He is wearing a white polo shirt and slacks. The woman who addressed him sits on the other side of the table the three surround. She looks the eldest of the three and is wearing a modest dress with a pristine white apron. Her hair falls gracefully over her right shoulder and is secured with a white ribbon. The woman sits daintily as she sips the tea in front of her before turning to the other woman with whom she sits. The other woman looks younger and has a short and acute hairstyle that screams 1920s. She is wearing a black business suit with a crisp white shirt peeking from under her blazer.

"Nabiki," the older woman said in a soft, yet commanding voice, "Please get Akane for me. She is upstairs, I believe."

Nabiki, the other woman, nodded curtly before standing and moving toward the stairs. She ascended quickly and disappeared from the man and woman's sights. The tension disappeared, and the man uncrossed his arms and stared at his untouched tea.

"Why do you think she needs to know now, Kasumi? She is happy now," Ryouga asked quietly.

"You do not really know her, then, Ryouga," the other woman, Kasumi, said gently, "She is always sad but attempts to be happy for you. Why do you think she has not married you yet? Something in her tells her that it is not to be." 

Kasumi sipped her tea as Ryouga took in her observations. He had not really thought about why she had rejected his proposal. He thought it because she had her sons and the dojo about which to think, so he stayed in the house and helped looked after it, making repairs whenever needed. Ryouga sat stiffly with his hands tensing on his knees, his knuckles turning white. She knew deep down that it was not him she loved. Her sons like him enough to call him uncle. Tears threatened to escape his eyes, which he wiped away with fervor that would scare small children. Kasumi sits across him with her eyes closed, still sipping her tea daintily. Footsteps approach the table, and Ryouga looks up to see Nabiki and Akane, the woman with the long dark blue hair and brown eyes. The woman he has loved for so long. 

_She does look sad_, he thought to himself,_ although she hides it behind a cheery smile. I should have noticed on my own, but I have been foolish to think that she would forget him even after the accident._

The man shook his head sadly and looked to the dark haired woman. She smiled at him as she sat next to him. He poured her a cup of tea that she accepted gracefully.

_She has become more graceful and beautiful over these last years. My love for her has also grown. How could I tell her now?_

Nabiki cleared her throat to catch her youngest sister's attention. Kasumi put down her cup, and Akane followed her example. The other two sisters sat straight, and Akane looked expectantly at her older sister.

"Akane, there is something we have _all_," Nabiki glared at Ryouga, which he returned without a thought, "been meaning to tell you."

----- 

**[End chapter one]**

**A/N: **Some things I should mention first, right? Japanese/foreign words are in _italics_, if you haven't already noticed, but so are thoughts and words that are being emphasized. Does that clear anything up? Were you even confused about that before?

So how was it? Horrible? Good? Decent? Should I have not touched the original chapter? Did you find any mistakes? Did it make you want to throw up? TT;;

_All_ comments welcome, so please review!


	2. Chapter 02

**Forgotten Past**

By: the littlest dinosaur

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from that anime series, but I do own the original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

**[Begin chapter two]**

-----

"Akane, there is something we have _all_," Nabiki glared at Ryouga, which he returned without a thought, "been meaning to tell you."

"Oh?" Akane asked as she reached for her tea again, trying to calm her agitated nerves. 

She had a feeling that this was something important and wanted to be calm enough to consider everything before doing anything rash.

"You know who your sons' father is," Nabiki said as she looked at her sister.

Her little sister looked like she was going to have a heart attack as she gulped down the tea in her mouth, her hand shaking uncontrollably. After all these years of wondering whose eyes Sano had, she would finally know... 

Still shaking, she looked to Ryouga for support as she clutched his hand. He looked at her with considerable sadness in his eyes and a small bittersweet smile. She did not know why and silently wondered why he would look so sad. Akane turned toward her sisters with a look of yearning radiating from her face. She wanted, no, _needed_ them to tell her the secret they have kept from her for ten years.

Nabiki studied her sister and wondered what would be the best way to break the news to her. The woman turned to her older sister for support, and she nodded as she took her cue to continue the conversation.

"Akane," Kasumi said gently, "I know you know that we have withheld this information because we thought it would be best for you, and I am glad that you haven't pressed the matter much. Your doctor did not believe that knowing who he was would affect you in a positive way at the time because you were trying to recuperate. We did not want you to regress and become worse. Tofu said that the shock might be too much for you. We are all deeply apologetic for keeping this important piece of information from you, little sister."

Nabiki nodded in agreement and glared at Ryouga until he gave a small, curt nod. Nabiki continued their explanation.

"Yes, Akane," Kasumi said gently, "And we need you to promise to be calm and not kill anyone or anything."

Akane's eyes widened over the rim of her teacup. She swallowed and nervously put the teacup back on the table, nodding in response to her sister's request, waiting for their story to continue. The woman quietly wondered why they would make such an odd request of her but the let the thought go once the conversation started to progress.

Nabiki took over the conversation, "We didn't keep this from you to hurt you, Akane." Her eyes held a tinge of sadness, or maybe regret, in them. "Something terrible happened ten years ago. Something very... horrible. We did not want to worry you needlessly, so we kept the truth from you."

Akane's eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

_What had happened? Why do they look like someone died?_

She closed her eyes and cradled her head in her hands. A cocky grin flashed before her eyes, startling her and causing her to jump back from the table. Only Nabiki noticed her movements but never commented about them. They needed to talk now.

"Don't you ever wonder why you can't remember your high school or college days?" 

No response. 

Nabiki continued, softening her tone, "There was an accident, Akane."

Akane's head shot up, giving a nervous look to the people around her.

"It was horrible. You were taking Sano to the pediatrician because he had a fever. You went by yourself, and you were attacked." Akane's hand flew up to her mouth. "A woman you knew, Shampoo, attacked you from behind and hit a pressure point on the back of your head and another near your heart on your back. She was so swift and quiet, though, we did not know what had happened until it was too late. You were lying on the sidewalk, and Sano was kneeling next to you, wailing, pleading with you to get up. We could not help you, Akane. We went to Tofu, and he said that he could not do anything for you because it was too dangerous to undo. He said that it would erase your memories of the one closest to your heart, and that you would have to remember on your own, but we were scared. Tofu said that you could be seriously injured if we did anything drastic. He said you might die from shock, Akane, and we couldn't let that happen to you, not after-"

"Shut up!" Ryouga shouted as he banged his fist against the small rectangular table, ignoring Akane's eyes looking fearfully at her friend. His fangs were showing and his hair looked as if it was standing on end. Akane was honestly afraid that he would do something reckless. "If someone had been there for her, this wouldn't have happened. If that jerk did not run off, she would not be suffering now! If-"

"Enough!" Nabiki slammed her fists against the table, too. She had enough of Ryouga's many outbursts. "We all know the **_what if's_**, Ryouga, so please. Stop."

"We withheld this because indirectly, your husband felt he was at fault." Nabiki paused as her sister's eyes filled with pain and shock. "Shampoo was after Ranma, still. After so many years, she had not given him up even though you two were happily married and had two sons. Ranma was working at the dojo that day, teaching a class of children, which is why you went alone. Dad was watching Seiji that afternoon, Kasumi was helping Tofu, and I was on a business trip in America." Nabiki shook her head sadly and looked at her sister's tear-filled eyes. "We did not want to worry you, really. We thought that it would hinder your recovery if we told you the truth. Too much stress for you to handle at once. We had the best of intentions, and he left after he knew you would be safe and unharmed. He didn't want to hurt you because of him anymo-"

"Damn right he didn't!" Ryouga shouted as he banged his fist against the small rectangular table, ignoring Akane's eyes looking fearfully at her friend. His fangs were showing and his hair looked as if it was standing on end. Akane was honestly afraid that he would do something reckless. "He knew exactly what he was doing **and to_ whom_**!" The irate boy turned to Akane and took her small hands into his own, his tone softening a few decibels, "He was taking advantage of you, Sano and Seiji, Akane. They were so young, and you were so vulnerable." He pulled her petite form into a tight hug, missing her pleading glance toward her sisters for help. "I want to protect you from him so badly."

Nabiki scowled as she watched Ryouga's outburst, her eyebrow ticking. Kasumi looked calmly on the scene that laid itself out before her.

"That is true and false, Ryouga," the oldest girl said soothingly. "He did leave her of his own will, but it was because he wanted to protect his wife. He needs to take care of all his unfinished business so they can live in peace. They were two strong people who were the target of a scheme," she paused and looked at Akane who was struggling to get out of Ryouga's tight hug, "But things got out of control, and you got seriously hurt." Sadness filled the woman's voice as she placed her gaze upon the pictures that lined the wall above her sister's head. They were pictures of her daughter and nephews growing up, wide grins and energetic children smiled back at the woman encouraging Kasumi on. "Sano and Seiji do not know who their father is, and I am saddened to say that we have also been keeping this secret from them, little sister, though we were close to telling you many times." 

"Yes," Nabiki cut in, "But although he left, your sons stayed behind. They were too young to know what was happening, and couldn't separate you from them even if you couldn't remember who their father is."

Akane roughly pulled out of Ryouga's tight embrace and looked anxiously to her sisters, hoping for more information to her past, and missing the look of pain that flashed through her friend's face.

"Do you recall all those pictures in your sons' rooms? The ones of Ranma Saotome?" Kasumi asked quietly, her gaze never leaving her sister as she nodded slowly.

"His eyes are the same blue as Sano's," Akane whispered to herself, her eyes content watching her hands burn nervous energy as they wrung together. 

Nabiki looked at her younger sister with an indifferent expression on her face, "From where do you think he got those color eyes? Haven't you wondered about it?"

Akane whipped her head toward Nabiki with a forlorn face, but looked immediately to her hands that were wrestling each other. The older girl tilted her head to the side to study her sister's sad expression that clearly stated that she had not given it any thought.

"He is probably the greatest martial artist in the world." She looked up to her sisters, trying to change the subject, "What does he have to do with any of this? He is just an icon."

Kasumi smiled sadly.

"He is your husband."

Akane looked confused.

"My husband is-. You're saying that _Ranma Saotome_ is _my_ husband?" Akane smiled as her voice filled with amusement as Nabiki gave her a curt nod. At that acknowledgement, her head fell unexpectedly into her cupped hands and onto the low table. Ryouga was by her side instantly and who, to her annoyance, kept asking if she was all right.

Kasumi sighed gently and sipped her tea. Nabiki continued.

"Yes, and you two have been married for fifteen years as of..." Nabiki paused to remember her sister's wedding date. "...next month, I believe." The middle sister's gaze turned toward the koi pond outside, her mind already analyzing the best way to approach her nephew's about the subject of their father. She had to tell them next.

Akane fainted in Ryouga's arms, and the fanged man growled menacingly at Nabiki who picked up her teacup and began delicately sip her tea.

-----

"Hey, Seiji," addressed the older boy who was toweling his hair as he stood in his younger brother's bedroom doorway, "You think something's up downstairs?" He was wearing a familiar looking Chinese-styled red tank top with loose black pants.

The Seiji grunted from the closet as he searched through his closet, too busy glance at his brother. A cool breeze danced through the small room. The older boy rolled his eyes and threw his towel at his brother's form. A yelp of indignation came from the closet as Seiji emerged to grace his brother with an irritated scowl. Seiji was wearing a pair of blue and grey plaid boxers that showed off his wonderfully sculpt abs very well.

"Did you hear what I asked?" came the older boy's irked question.

"Uh, no?"

The older boy ran a hand through his spiky hair and walked into his younger brother's room to sit on his bed. Seiji shrugged and continued to raid his closet, looking for that perfect outfit to impress his date. The boy gave a shout of joy as he pulled out a **clean** pair of black slacks and a blue Chinese-styled shirt that looked similar to the one his brother was wearing. Seiji ran to the bathroom to change in privacy, leaving his older brother to sit by himself in the room.

The other brother looked around the room, noticing many posters littering his brother's walls. The boy got up to inspect the pictures of girls, cars, martial artists, and movies, many of which were ripped from a magazine from the looks of the edges of the papers. Tired of the wall, he flopped back onto his brother's large bed to study the ceiling, which was, thankfully, clear of anything besides a ceiling fan. Bored, the boy groped toward his brother's nightstand, looking for a radio to banish the silence.

Unable to locate that slippery radio, he growled and propped himself up to be met with a tattered picture with four smiling faces. Momentarily stunned, he picked up the simple black picture frame and brought it closer so he could inspect it better. Although the edges of the picture was worn, the barely visible date in the corner of the pictured declared it eleven years old, and it held a much younger-looking mom laughing and smiling, watching a much smaller version of his brother and him play in front of her. Next to his mother was a grinning man with a familiar face, and the name played on the tip of the boy's tongue. He had his arm wrapped tightly around his mother's shoulders and had pulled her in close.

"What are you doing, Sano?"

Caught off guard, the boy fell from his position on the bed and blushed as he scrambled to sit up at the foot of the bed. The younger boy laughed loudly at his brother's bruised ego until Sano raised the undamaged frame to show his little brother at what he had been looking. Seiji's eyes went wide, and he walked over to his desk to sit on his chair. Sano looked at the picture in his hands. The cheerful mood simmered into something more somber, and a breeze played with his hair.

"That's us, you know, when we were little," Seiji said loud enough for Sano to hear.

The latter boy nodded slowly and looked to his younger brother, silently asking him why there was such a picture on his nightstand.

"And that's dad sitting next to mom. Don't they look happy?" Seiji's voice sounded burdened and sad, and the boy used the chair to roll toward his bed.

"Where did you get this picture?" Sano asked quietly as he handed it to his younger brother who in turn put it on the floor next to Sano. "I thought Aunt Nabiki hid them all in a safe at her summer villa in Sapporo."

"I've had it for as long as I can remember, actually," Seiji said thoughtfully. "I remember needing a picture of our family for a project at school when I was in... kindergarten?" He scratched his head. "Well, that's beside the point, but yeah. I've always had that picture." Pause. "No one else knew I had it before. I kept it in my underwear drawer because I know mom doesn't go through it anymore," Seiji winked at his brother, who chuckled softly.

"Why didn't you tell me you had this?" Sano asked, the wind playing quietly with his hair. Pause. "I have one, too, though I've taped it to the back of one of my drawers." Sano looked at the ceiling. "I just remembered that I put it there. I don't believe I forgot about it."

"Who? Dad?"

"No, the picture, stupid," was Sano's patient reply, followed by a small laugh, "How long has it been since his last visit? A month?"

Seiji shrugged after he lazily flopped onto his bed. He rolled onto his back and looked at his brother upside down, his hair hanging and brushing the carpeted floor. "Dunno, but you know he'll be back soon. Remember? He promised he would teach us new techniques he learned from Chinese Amazons?" The teenager rolled back onto his stomach and brushed his hair back. "That is so cool."

"I know. Maybe he'll bring back desserts from Grandma Saotome, too!" Sano's stomach growled in response, and the boys laughed. "Her mochi is awesome!"

The elder boy smiled brightly as he leaned against his brother's bed and turned his gaze toward the cream-colored ceiling.

"Or maybe he'll bring us posters and spend money from his latest win! I can't believe the old man is still fighting like that."

Sano closed his eyes and heard a thump and, thinking his brother fell off his bed again, ignored the sound. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, trying to gain his attention. The boy opened his eyes slowly to see what his brother wanted when he was roughly pulled into a headlock.

"Who you calling an _old man_, shrimp?"

-----

Akane massaged her temples. 

Kasumi had gone to the kitchen to get more tea and cookies at Akane's request. 

Ryouga and Nabiki were arguing. 

Again. 

At this rate, she would never get the entire story from them. She silently asked herself when this was ever going to end. The woman picked up her cup of tea and sipped it. Maybe it would help to calm her frayed nerves. She had just been thinking about her husband, wondering what kind of person he could be, and his reasons for staying away for so long. Akane had never thought that she would actually find out who her sons' father was- _is_, actually, though she was still unable to learn the exact circumstances around his disappearance. They kept mentioning an "accident" but never elaborated as to what happened to that woman afterward.

Kasumi looked sadly at her little sister who looked deep in thought, seemingly oblivious to the fight dancing around her. She had really wished this would not have happened like this, but she had really believed it was time to tell her the whole truth before someone made a mistake and hurt her sister's already strained heart. The eldest sister saw Akane smile to herself and hoped that her youngest sister would be rational about the information they had laid before her. Moreover, what of her nephews? Granted, they worshiped to ground that Ranma Saotome walked upon, but how would they react to know that they have known their father, a little at least. 

Stomping feet brought Kasumi out of her musings and saw Akane look up to be greeted by her sons bowling each other over to get to her. Her little sister gave them a smile before moving over so they could sit next to her.

Kasumi moved back into the sitting room with a fresh pot of tea and snacks to feed her nephews. Sano looked extremely ruffled as he and Seiji calmed their breathing from their race down the stairs. They looked at their mom, ignoring the rest of the family around them. Sano was the first to speak.

"What's for dinner?"

-----

**[End chapter two]**

**A/N: **Hi! I forgot, when I had edited my first chapter, to thank all those people who reviewed! :D I was so happy when you people took the time to read my story! I was so warm and fuzzy inside! :D :D****

So how was it? Horrible? Good? Decent? Should I have not touched the original chapter? Did you find any mistakes? Did it make you want to throw up? TT;;

All comments welcome, so please review!


	3. Chapter 03

**Forgotten Past**

By: the littlest dinosaur

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from that anime series, but I do own the original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

**[Begin chapter three.]**

-----

                "Who you calling an _old man_, shrimp?"

                Sano groaned loudly at the sound of the _old man's _amused voice, silently cursing himself for letting his guard down. He should have known that his dad would strike when he least expected it. Maybe that was what the thump was...

                "You gonna fight me or am I gonna hold'ya all day? I got things to do, too, you know," the disembodied voice tightened his hold on the young boy who did not move at the taunt. Curious, he poked his head around to scrutinize the boy's face.

                Sano, waiting for the man's overwhelming curiosity to take over, shifted his weight in the same direction the man had been leaning towards. Surprised by this sudden movement, the man still held on, but quickly lost his balance due to the weight he was holding onto. The boy used the man's momentum to throw him off his back and into his brother's wall. Hoping that Seiji would forgive him for the wrinkled poster of _Miss May_, Sano leaped at the man who was stunned at the bottom of the wall. 

                The man looked up to see the boy's smirking face behind a flying kick aimed straight for his stomach. Cursing his luck, he rolled to the left, hoping that his movements did not seem obvious since his head was still throbbing from its brief meeting with the wall. A foot landed in the man's absent space, and the body belonging to it flipped back into the space in front of the his place. The man grinned cockily and swept at the boy's feet as he landed, knocking the unsuspecting boy onto his back with a thud. 

                Jumping immediately back onto his feet, the boy noticed the room seemed empty. Nothing made a sound. Sano stopped and eased his breathing. This opponent would require his full concentration because _anything_ _goes_, with nothing held back. The boy closed his eyes and released some of his ki to feel where his challenger had hid. After a second, he snapped his eyes open again when he had felt him. He was to his left. Quickly, Sano rolled to his right, attempting to gain distance so he could analyze his adversary before jumping back into the battle. He had obviously gotten better, which was saying a lot. This man had been a much better fighter than he had at their last meeting, and he did not know if he would win this fight, either.

                Sano reached his ki further out to feel for his brother. Maybe he would help him in this fight. It might be somewhat unfair, but this was an adversary, unmatched in his skill of the art. He could not feel Seiji, and he cursed inwardly, trying not to give away his thoughts or plans. The boy turned to the window that was still ajar. Smiling at his luck, he dove for the open window, hoping to escape the confined space but hit a wall of flesh. He fell back on his butt and rubbed his head.

                "You're lucky I've got a hard head like you."

                The man grinned at this statement as he stood over the fallen boy.

                "Get up! We've got to make this a somewhat fair fight, _ne_?" the man asked with a grin seemingly lacing his words.

                Sano stood as the man and fell into an offensive stance. He felt loose and aware of everything now. He knew where everything was, could tell who was in the house, and feel where his brother disappeared: the bathroom to get ready for his big date. 

_                Of course._

                Sano smiled inwardly and turned his full attention back to the man opposite him who seemed to be deep in thought. 

_                Perfect._

-----

                The man was standing in a relaxed position watching the boy gathering his scattered thoughts. It had been a while since he had seen him, too long for him. He frowned when he thought about his life in the past few months and how difficult they had been. It was hard being away from his family.

_                It is for the best,_ the man thought sadly, trying to rein his thoughts back to his pending battle.

                He smiled sadly, as he watched the boy stretch his senses. The man felt his heartstrings tug as he thought about all the times he had missed because of his journey. He had tried to return as often as possible, but it was difficult. Only two people knew of his visits, both banned from telling anyone else, lest they hurt their mother. 

                The man sighed sadly to himself as he thought back on his adventures. He had fought in many popular wrestling matches under different stage names, hoping to learn new skills and send money to his family as an indirect way of supporting them since he could not be there himself. Though he did not know what the boys did with the money he sent, he hoped that their mother, and not their aunt, got most of it.

                He coughed at the thought of the men he had fought in those famous tournaments. Laughing at the memory of the men pumped with steroids and other "power-enhancing" drugs. They were nothing more than schoolyard bullies, all talk and no action, to him. They did not have any interesting techniques, and after they were beaten badly, their managers tried to recruit him! 

_                Talk about loyalty_, he chuckled to himself.

                Slowly, his thoughts turned away from those almost fond thoughts, to darker portions of his memories. He remembered the reason why he had to leave his family: his past. He had to tie up the loose ends, so they would not have to keep looking over their shoulders. Shampoo had been adequate warning, an unwelcome wake up call that he could have lived without. His fist clenched in frustration. Why could she not leave him alone? He had chosen, finally, but the choice did not suit her.

                She could not accept it, and ultimately, she went insane with grief. Her admirer and great grandmother had tried to soothe the raging girl, but nothing could placate her. She had lost the control and finesse that made her a great Chinese Amazonian warrior. Her precious laws had failed her, which was something she could not handle. They were her life, her very being. Without her set of laws, she was nothing but a zombie.

                Her great grandmother had been furious with Shampoo for the cowardice in her actions, which struck the man as odd when he heard this, since that was exactly what the two had done to him for years. They had drugged, manipulated and exploited him and his loved ones constantly, though the old woman did teach him some interesting techniques over the years, which still didn't make up for their conspiracies. Yet, even though they tried to manipulate him so much, he could not find it in his heart not to accept the matriarch's apology when offered. It was better to have her as an ally, anyway. The boy, Mousse, also apologized for his past actions, and they became close friends.

                His thoughts turned toward his best friend, who he remembered to have also attempted to manipulate him. He was terribly sad when he had found that she was trying to hurt his family, especially at his wedding. She could have killed someone! It was unforgivable, but he could not dream of being angry with her for very long. The man sighed as he remembered her confrontation with her after his life had calmed after the marriage.

                She was crying, pleading him to annul the marriage so they could be together, but she did not understand that he did not love her like that. He loved his wife the way she wanted him to love her. He could never see her as anything more than his best friend, and she could not accept that. She tried to commit suicide because of him, but her employee tipped him off, and he stopped her before she did anything rash.

                He had found her in her room with a _katana_ positioned before her stomach. When he had entered, she had looked at him with the saddest eyes, which had stunned him for a fleeting moment. He was shocked beyond words to find her like this. He never believed that her love for him ran this deep, that she would rather forsake her life than live without him. He would not be able to live with himself if anything had happened to her, so he quickly disarmed the distraught girl and hugged her until she started crying and asked him repeatedly to forgive her for being stupid and selfish.

                He shushed her and rocked her back and forth, her employee standing sadly in the doorway. When she had fallen asleep, he had put her in her bed and given the _katana_ to the ninja. He told him that he would be back tomorrow to see his friend, and the ninja nodded sympathetically at his statement. When he went back the next day, his friend was still in bed and refused to leave her room. He came to told her that he had chosen and that he was sorry for hurting her the way he did. He told her that he should not have led her on as he did and apologized profusely.

                She smiled sadly and, with tears glistening in her eyes, said that she should not have been so foolish as to think that they would ever be together as she wanted them to be. She told him that she was sincerely glad that he had chosen his wife and that she would support their relationship no matter what. She wanted to keep her shop open here and go to school part-time so she could learn new business techniques so she could expand. They had talked for hours, and when they finished, she seemed much happier than the day before. He hugged her, and gave her a kiss on the forehead, promising to visit often, to which she happily agreed, promising a free lunch every now and then for him and his wife. 

                The man had been happy that his friend had found some sort of peace with herself, though she had to be hurt in order to find it. After that first visit, she seemed to be getting better. A lot-

_                Damn_, the man said as he flew into a wall, from which he kick flipped, _He is ready again... Gotta stop reminiscing in the middle of battles, _the man chuckled to himself._ It's a bad habit._

                Standing straight a few feet from the wall his feet had the pleasure to meet, he gazed nonchalantly at the boy who stood at the opposite end of the room. The boy was also calm, collected. He seemed to know what he was doing, and he looked serious.

_                Time to teach him a lesson_, thought the man with a pleased grin, sinking into an offensive stance.

                He flew at the boy at an inhuman speed as he started a dance of punches and kicks.

-----

                Grimacing at the appearance of new bruises over old ones, the boy laid on his back, eyes closed, waiting for the gloating to start.

                "Have you been practicing, son?" came the disembodied voice. 

                Sano cracked an eye open, followed by the other, and saw a fuzzy silhouette. His eyes focused on an amused face of a blue-eyed man with graying black hair braided into a short ponytail that hung over his left shoulder.

                Sano grinned innocently at the man as he sat up, "Of course not, dad. Why do you think you beat me so badly?" He could not let his father know that he had just finished a workout in the dojo. That would be incredibly embarrassing.

                Sano's dad laughed cheerfully at his son's blatant lie. "I saw you practicing, Sano. Don't think you can lie to me that easily." Sano grimaced at the statement. "We wouldn't have been at it for such a long time if you hadn't been practicing, boy!"

                The man looked around the room as Sano grumbled and sulked off to fetch the first aid kit from the bathroom to tend his bruises. It was a little messy. Nothing damaged too badly, though there was a torn poster here and there. Seiji would be furious! Speaking of Seiji...

                "Where's your brother?" asked the man who sat on the bed to rest. He was not getting any younger, and the boy had tired him out, though he would not admit it to him. When silence answered his question, the man lay back on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping his younger son would not mind a dirty bed when he wandered back.

                A head full of squeaky-clean obsidian hair popped into the open doorway, hazel eyes taking in the destruction of the room. There were a few ripped and torn posters but nothing too harmful. His walls were still intact, and his furniture still stood without scratches. He silently wondered what kind of storm ran though his room while he was showering. And where was his brother? From the doorway, the boy scanned the room more and noticed a figure on his bed. Narrowing slightly, he saw a man, presumably his "delinquent" brother, napping on his bed! It was just made! Silently, he crept toward the bed, hoping to catch him unaware of his presence, futile, as it seems.

                Slowly, he crept pass his doorway until he reached the edge of the carpet. From there he snuck toward his dresser to grab a pillow lying haphazardly next to it. Seiji slinked across the small bedroom until he reached his bed. With the pillow raised above his head, he failed to observe who was actually lying in his bed, and with one swift blow hit the villain square in the face, earning a muffled yelp of indignation from his victim.

                Seiji stood tall until he glanced toward the hallway to see Sano sulking by with a first aid kit in hand. The boy's eyes widened quickly, remembering that Sano only toted along the kit after their father had beaten him thoroughly. Jumping away from the bed, Seiji's eyes grew wide, as he silently wondered how he would get out of fighting his dad especially since he had just gotten ready for his date, and the slumped figure was rising.

-----

               The man inwardly growled because he had not even noticed that Seiji had entered the room, much less got across of the room to grab and pillow, _and_ hit him in the face with it.

_                I'm gettin' old._

                The man donned an irritated expression before facing his younger son, hoping to scare him enough to help him forget that he had messed up his room. He was not ready for what happened next.

                "Dad!" the boy said happily, as he tackled the man back onto the bed.

                With an _oof_, the two hit the bed, and the boy scrambled to sit up next to the man, instantly bombarding him with questions.

                "Where have you been? How was your trip? Did you miss us? Did you get us anything? I saw you in last month's _Martial Artist Deluxe Magazine_! You beat that fat guy and won a lot of moolah! You brought us money, right? Did you buy us a car? What about new mats for the dojo? Or a street bike! Or cement blocks! Mom _loves_ those when she's angry! I-"

                A hand silenced the overzealous boy, and the man put a finger in front of his mouth in a quieting motion. He did not want anyone finding him here, so he listened for everyone's position in the house. Akane, her family and Ryouga were downstairs heatedly discussing something. The man growled at the thought of Ryouga being anywhere near this house but calmly let the emotion go as he searched for his first son. Sano was in his room, sulking and muttering to himself. The man smiled and took his had off Seiji's mouth after he was sure the boy would not erupt into a sea of even _more_ questions. He turned toward Seiji's nightstand and noticed an old picture frame.

                Curious, he picked it up and looked warmly on a happy memory long ago.

-----

                Seiji looked at his dad. He was incredibly happy that he was here since he rarely visited. He and his brother did not understand why their dad could not stay here because it had something to do with shampoo, cologne and mousse. They always wondered what was wrong with those toiletries, since they had it in the bathroom _anyway_...

                When his mouth was free, he relaxed and looked at his dad's serene smile. The picture frame he was holding caused a lot of excitement today, and he was wondering why everyone made such a big deal about it. It was Seiji's forbidden memory of times that were happier when Uncle Ryouga did not try to replace their dad and woo his mom.

                The boy sighed.

                "Where did you get his picture?" the old man asked looking at his son inquisitively.

                Seiji shrugged repeating his story to his father who absorbed it entirely.

                Memories flew through the man's vision. He was hugging his wife at their wedding reception, crying at his eldest son's birth, laughing when his younger son yanked on his pigtail, and worried when either of them had fallen after taking his first few steps. His happy grin turned into a bittersweet smile, and he handed the frame back to his son, looking at it longingly.

                Seiji noticed his father's gaze, prompting his to ask a forbidden question, "Why can't you stay with us?"

                The boy's father turned to answer the boy but was interrupted by another.

                "Why can't we tell mom that you visit us? Why doesn't she remember you?" Sano asked as he walked into the small room, new bandages gracing his body. He sat next to his dad on the bed, not noticing the smirk his younger brother tried to hide.

                "It's a long story, really," their father began. He paused and seemed to be thinking about something as his eyes lost their focus.

                Confused about the pause, Seiji was about to nudge his father when the old man began his story again.

                "It happened ten years ago, when your mom was taking you to the doctor's, Sano," their father said slowly, looking in Sano's direction. "You were sick, and she was the only one available to take you. I had protested that I would take you after I was finished teaching my class, but she wouldn't listen to me, so she left after we argued."

                The old man chuckled at the memory and sadly shook his head. Sano and Seiji looked at each other, worrying for their father's sanity but stopped when he began again.

                "She was plenty angry at me, and I was furious at her for being so stubborn."

_                He sounds so heartbroken_, thought Sano. The boy hung his head and wrung his hands together. He did not like where this story was headed.

                "It happened there, on the way to the office," he growled, clenching his fists together. "A woman who was after me to be her _airen_," his words sounded harsh and cruel as if he hated that word with his very soul, "Attacked you two from behind and pushed some pressure points on your mom's back near her heart and on her head."   
  


                Seiji looked nervously at his father who was clenching his fists together in a very alarming manner. His voice quivered with anger he had not heard before, and he realized that he did not know the man who was explaining an event that had harshly affected their lives for as long as he could remember.

                "I guess it was supposed to be a forget-everyone-you-care-about pressure point combination or something, but I didn't know how to counteract it. It was late when I found you two, Sano, the sun had already set," their father held his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees. His voice had softened noticeably. "You were screaming at her to get up, and we were surprised and infuriated that none of the people living in the houses around you did anything to help."

                Sano tried to remember the day his father was orating, but to no avail, did he remember such a day. He leaned back against his hands, trying to figure out where this story led and wondering if recalling that day would be a good idea.

                "It made me furious because I was so helpless to do anything. I took the two of you to Tofu's, but he didn't know anything about counteracting the pressure points, either. He just said that her memories were erased, which included me, but not you two," an ironic chuckle escaped his lips, sending shivers down his son's spines. "Funny thing, too, but I guess it was because you were with her when she was attacked, and we couldn't keep Seiji away from her, either. That's when I decided to leave to find a cure for your mother and to tie up my loose ends. They might have hurt her if I didn't finish tying up my loose ends."

                The old man closed his eyes. Silence enveloped the room, and the three males sat still. A cool breeze danced through the room, disrupting their hair and flirting with the posters on the wall. Leaves played around the picture on the nightstand, and quickly twirled through the window again. Seiji broke the calm.

                "Is that why you can't stay? Because mom might freak out if she sees you?" Seiji asked slowly. He turned toward his father, patiently waiting for an explanation.

                Their father looked apprehensive. "Well, yes, she may freak out, among other things,"  he said slowly, as if unsure of an adequate answer. "I have been away trying to face my past, and I think I have finished, too." _With the exception of Ryouga, of course_, he growled inwardly.

                "So, what kind of loose ends are we talking about here? I mean, you couldn't have that many girls after you, dad... You've been gone for ten years!" Seiji teased, tilting his head to the side and leaning back against his hands.

                Their father chuckled. 

                "You'd be surprised," as he delved into the history of his actions these ten long years past.

-----

**[End chapter three.]**

**A/N: **So how was it? Horrible? Good? Decent? Should I have not touched the original chapter? Did you find any mistakes? Did it make you want to throw up? TT;;

All comments welcome, so please review!


	4. Chapter 04

**Forgotten Past**

By: the littlest dinosaur

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ranma ½ or any of the characters from that anime series, but I do own the original characters. Please do not use them without my permission.

**[Begin chapter four]**

-----

            "And that's how it was," the old man said, nodding his head curtly.

            Sano and Seiji stared at their father with wide eyes. They never would have guessed that he was such a ladies' man with so many women after him. Why hadn't any of that 'magical power' been passed down to _them_?

            "But that's finished now, isn't it?" Sano asked, scratching his head. "Why can't you stay with us? It'd be a lot more fun with you around, dad," he added eagerly.

            Seiji's head bobbed up and down in an eager agreement with his brother, "We could be a family again."

            The old man sighed. They obviously had not been paying attention to his story as well as he had hoped.

            "Since mom's attacker is being condemned for her crime, then shouldn't it be alright for you to stay?" Seiji asked with large and glittering eyes.

            "I already _told_ you kids-"

            "We're not baby goats!" Seiji stated indignantly, his eyes returning to their normal 'un-shiny' state and earning an elbow in the ribs from his brother.

            "-what would happen to your mother if we added unnecessary amounts of stress on her," the boys' father replied tiredly, rubbing his temples. _They're__ just like their mother, too dense for their own good._

            "So why'd you come back?"

            Their father looked at them with blinking owlish eyes. _Why did I come back?_ A look of discovery flashed over the old man's face, and he searched his pockets for something. The brothers looked at him with curious expressions, silently wondering when their father had gotten clothes with pockets and what would pop out of them. With a cry of discovery, their father produced a tattered picture, and upon further inspection, Sano found that it was a wedding picture.

            "I have to leave, but I'll leave that picture with you to figure it out on your own," their father said with a smirk on his face. "And I want it back," he said turning toward the window. Pausing, he turned back toward the boys once more, "Whole." Like the wind, he flipped out of Seiji's window onto the roof. His footsteps were light, and the boys could not hear toward which direction he had run off.

            Seiji snatched the picture from his brother, who gave an annoyed cry, to gaze at the black and white picture. It was his father wearing a black tuxedo with a bow tie and his signature pigtail, and mother in a beautiful and full wedding dress with small lacy designs adorned the bodice of her dress. Her veil gracefully lay over her hair, adorned with two giant roses surrounded by lace, and she seemed to be holding a bouquet of flowers. The old man was carrying their mother bridal-style, and they both looked very happy, although the old man had a smirk on his face.

            Seiji's mouth hung open at the splendor of the picture. It captured his parents _perfectly_, though he hadn't seen them together since before he could remember. Sano stole the picture back from his brother and after glancing at it for a moment, proceeded to flip it over. There were faded and smudged words on the back, and the boy was compelled to read them aloud.

            "To my dear Ranma," Seiji snorted and pretended to gag, earning a sour look from his brother that immediately shut him up. "Here's a picture of us after the wedding ceremony. I thought you would like to have something for yourself. Love, Akane," Sano read calmly. His eyes scanned the rest of the scribbling on the back of that worn picture. "P.S. Don't forget that our anniversary is on the sixteenth day of the fifth month." A small angry looking face was scribbled at the end of that sentence, followed by a smiley face, causing the boy's mouth to slowly creep into a smile.

            A silence rolled quietly through the room. The boys sat on Seiji's bed, saying nothing and letting the silence embrace their still forms. The words were slow to sink into their heads. The younger boy squinted at his calendar of sexy mostly-naked Asian swimsuit models, trying to remember today's date. His eyes glided over the dates, focusing slowly.

            Seiji jumped up suddenly turning toward his brother, startling him out of his reverie by grabbing him by the front of his shirt and shaking the older boy a few times, "That's next month!"

            Sano sat calmly down again after brusquely brushing his brother's hand away from his shirt. "Which is even more of a reason why he should stay with us," he said resolutely, crossing his arms, eyes closed and nodding curtly.

            "It is getting ridiculous. I mean, the woman's being prosecuted for her crimes! What more of a reason could he want for living with his family again?" Seiji threw up his hands to show his frustration with his father. He dropped unceremoniously onto the floor to lie next to his bed. "I don't believe that all of that happened to him, either. It's too surreal!"

            "I agree," added Sano flopping back as he positioned himself so his head was hanging off the side of the bed where his brother was. "Who would be able to live such a crazy life?" He looked at his brother's laid-back form, and Seiji looked toward his brother.

            Simultaneously, they said, "Dad," sighed in resignation and stared at the ceiling.

            "We should get them back together," Sano said after a brief pause in the conversation. "He's never gonna do it himself, and Mom doesn't know! Who knows when they're finally gonna resolve this mess. Maybe when we're married and have kids-"

            "Not baby goats!"

            "-of our own." Sano's eyebrow twitched with irritation, "Honestly, Seiji, what's with your obsession with not being called a kid?"

            The younger boy sighed, ignoring his brother completely, "We should be more concerned on getting them back together again. That way, we can be a family again, and my friends at school can stop asking what happened to my dad." Sano discreetly rolled his eyes. "It _kills_ me not to be able to gloat that Ranma Saotome, the best martial artist in the world, is our dad!" Seiji said pounding the floor next to him and flexing his slender fingers. "They worship him! We have his last name for crying out loud!" He slapped the ground.

            Sano's eyes lit up. He had a plan. "Maybe that's _it_!" He rolled onto his stomach in an attempt to turn toward his brother's form on the floor. "We get them to come to school! We can then reveal that we do indeed have a father and that he's the coolest thing since the _Internet_! But how do we do that?" Sano sat up quickly, ignoring his screaming body. He was still in pain from the sparring match earlier.

            "That's it!" Seiji said snapping his fingers and sitting up to face his brother, "That 'Career Day' thing! I already invited mom, so you can invite Dad," he said, his face lighting up to match his brother's enthusiasm.

            "They can meet at school, and since it is a public place and not home, then maybe she won't feel as threatened, and Dad won't suspect that we had anything to do with it!" Sano said rolling over so his head hung over the edge where his brother lay.

            They high-fived each other, sealing their brilliant plan for their parents. The two boys rapidly discussed how they would proceed with their idea, but before they get far into their scheme, Sano's stomach growled loudly.

            "I'm hungry," he said, patting his outspoken stomach. "We should as Mom to cook for us, and then give some to Dad, so he can know what he's been missing!"

            Seiji agreed whole-heartedly (as his brother sprinted away), rolled onto his stomach and started racing his brother toward the living room.

            The two brothers raced down the narrow hallway. Sano was in front, due to his unfair head start but was quickly rammed into the wall courtesy of his brother's wonderfully bony shoulder. He grunted and hurled his now aching body down the flight of stairs after his brother.

            Seiji was ahead of his brother by five long strides, though Sano was quickly gaining on him. The younger boy started to panic because if he failed find his mother quickly, Sano was likely to pummel him into the ground because he, _by himself,_ walked into the wall! Quickening his pace, he stumbled passed the dining room and glanced inside.

            _I found her!_ he thought happily to himself, then yelped in surprise when he went skid past the room to only halt when his body was introduced to the wall.

            Sano grimaced when he saw Seiji kissed the hallway wall and successfully maneuvered himself around his fallen brother so they would not end up on the ground again. Looking into the dining room, he found the reason for his brother's hasty partial stop.

            _Mom!_

            Sano rushed into the room, ignoring the others already seated around the table, though he saw his Aunt Kasumi smile and make room between herself and his mother. Seiji slid rather roughly into the room (his clothes had gotten caught in a floorboard somewhere), and Sano practically jumped into the seat next to him. Their mother was smiling at them, as was their two Aunts, but Uncle Ryouga did not look incredibly glad to see the two boys. Ignoring the look his "Uncle" Ryouga was giving him, Sano concentrated on his mother.

            "What's for dinner, Mom?" he asked sweetly, earning a glare from his younger brother.

            Akane looked thoughtfully at her cup of green tea. "I was thinking of making spaghetti for you two tonight," she said smiling brightly and turning to face her sons. "How does that sound to you two?"

            A wide grin spread over Seiji's face. He _loved_ spaghetti! Sano nodded eagerly and asked his mother if she needed help making dinner. She gave him a loving smile but declined his gracious offer, though she asked Kasumi to accompany her. Their mother had received a new cookbook for her birthday and wanted to ask her sister which recipe for spaghetti sounded best. Akane turned toward the kitchen, chatting with her sister, leaving her sons, sister and friend in the dining room.

            Sano grinned widely and leaned toward his brother, putting a cupped hand near his ear. "This is great! Mom makes the best spaghetti in the world! This will have to convince him to stay!" he whispered to his brother, whose head happily bobbed up and down.

            Their "Uncle" Ryouga and Aunt Nabiki promptly started arguing again as soon as the two women exited the room, and Sano just rolled his eyes.

            _That's__ all they ever do. They can never agree on anything,_ the boy thought sadly. He turned to his brother, who promptly cut him off with a squealing noise.

            "My date!" Seiji said with an alarmed expression and a high-pitched cry. He was over two hours late, and the girl he had invited out probably would not forgive him for forgetting her. The younger brother sighed in resignation and turned to trudge up the stairs to sulk in his room, deciding it would be best to call her now and apologize profusely instead of letting her wait for him all night.

            Sano looked at his brother's retreating back, amusement written on his face, and he, too, retreated to his room. Hopefully he had something there that would help his wounds heal faster, though he doubted that there was such a thing in existence. Still, he sought haven away from the arguing pair.

---

            "You've definitely outdone yourself, Mom," Sano praised as he leaned back on one had and patted his full stomach with his other. "That was delicious!"

            Soun, Kasumi, Tofu, Michiko, Nabiki, Kuno, Ryouga and Seiji all nodded in agreement, wide smiles gracing each of their faces. The entire family (and then some) had shown up for dinner when they heard the two Tendo sisters were cooking that night.

            "Yes, my daughter, your cooking skills have greatly improved these past few years!" Soun said with a grin and a laugh. "You could easily pass as one of the great chefs of this nation!" The others nodded in agreement with the patriarch of the house.

            "Indeed, Akane-san, you and Kasumi should open your own restaurant to showcase your delicious meals," Kuno added courteously, followed by a nod from Nabiki. The imaginary wheels in her head were calculating whether there could be a substantial increase in their bank accounts could experience from such an enterprise.

            Akane bowed her head and blushed in a shy appreciation as they made their adoration of Kasumi and her cooking known. Smiling, she, Kasumi, and her boys started clearing the table, while the rest of the family members sipped on their green tea. Seiji and Sano both grabbed a handful of the dishes to place on the kitchen counter. There was some extra, and Sano knew no one would notice if it disappeared.

            "Mom, Seiji and I can clean up. You and Aunt Kasumi should relax since you both made dinner for us tonight," Sano offered with an innocent smile when his mother entered the kitchen after his aunt. Seiji's head bobbed up and down showing his agreement with his brother's proposal.

            Akane looked at her sons in surprise, quietly noting the seemingly innocent smile on her elder son's face. She wondered what the two were up to, since they usually did not help clean up after dinner. "If you are sure you don't mind doing that," she said, a small smile, forgetting her suspicions.

            Kasumi beamed at her nephews. "That would be wonderful, boys!" She gave each a heartfelt hug, and gracefully led her youngest sister back into the parlor so they could chat over a nice cup of tea.

            Seiji grinned brightly at his two female relatives glide back into the dining room. He turned toward the remaining portion of dinner. "Now... how to sneak this upstairs?" the boy asked himself while tapping his forefinger against his cheek in mock contemplation.

            Sano, not missing a beat, shoved a medium-sized white and blue plastic container into his brother's face and with a sigh, turned to face the dirty dishes in the sink. Seiji took the container and stuffed as much spaghetti into it as he could. He grabbed two pieces of leftover rolls from dinner and wrapped them in a napkin before setting both the container of spaghetti and rolls aside. The younger boy snatched yet another container into which he to put the remaining portion of spaghetti and then shoved it uncaringly into the refrigerator. Rolling up the sleeves on his long-sleeved t-shirt, he joined his brother in the silent ritual of washing dishes.

-----

            By the time they finished washing the dishes and cleaning the counters and table of the kitchen, it was late. Kasumi, Tofu and Michiko had gone home, as did Nabiki and Kuno. Soun retired to his room for the night, and their mother was sitting quietly, watching an American made-for-TV movie. It was a normal Saturday night for their family.

            Seiji snuck upstairs with the food (with a fork, of course), as his brother distracted their mother with questions about the show she was watching. It would be better if they did not have to explain why they were sneaking food into their room after they had an alarmingly large meal only an hour before. At dinner, their mother had commented on their increasing appetites, wondering aloud where they had gotten such bottom-less pits for stomachs, which earned a knowing smile from Kasumi and Tofu, though they hid it well. It would be better to keep this a secret for now.

            The boy managed to escape to his room without any incidents. He quietly walked into his darkened room and saw a figure sitting patiently on his bed. Grinning, the boy switched on the light to reveal his grinning father with a small bundle of bright colored paper and ribbon sitting quietly next to him. Seiji handed the meal to his father and got comfortable on the floor again while the man all but inhaled the food. The boy closed his eyes and was almost lulled to sleep by the rhythmic chomping sounds the Ranma made.

            "That was delicious!" the man said, smacking his lips in appreciation. He turned his attention toward his son, "Who made it?"

            Seiji cracked open an eye and looked at his father expectantly, "Mom, of course."

            Ranma blinked a few times. "She made _this_?" he said with utter disbelief. His hand flew to his stomach, and his other hand tentatively felt his forehead. "But I didn't _die_!" the old man said quietly as he gazed at the empty bowl, earning a chuckle from his son who had propped himself on one of his elbows to watch his father's skepticism in action.

            "There's a lot that you've missed since you've been gone, Dad," Seiji said quietly, gazing at his father who was still staring at his empty bowl. "She's as good as Aunt Kasumi, and maybe even better!" Seiji was very proud of his mother's exquisite cooking skills and grinned widely to prove it.

            "Yeah, it is pretty great, isn't it?" Sano said as he quietly crossed the room to sit on the bed next to his father.

            "Where did she learn the cook like this?" Ranma asked, his curiosity shining once more. "She used to be a _horrible_ cook! I always thought I would _die_ if I ate anything she made!"

            Seiji was first to jump to his mother's defense. "I bet you never gave her a chance, Dad. She has always been a great cook!"

            "I remember when her food was inedible," Sano added from the bed. He had shifted his position and sprawled his body across the bed, hugging a pillow to his body. "It was horrible, actually. I remember crying whenever Mom went to the kitchen!" the boy chuckled in reply to his scowling brother. _Time to appease the little monster._ "But she has gotten better since that cooking lesson she had with Aunt Kasumi." Seiji smiled brightly. "It's been great ever since."

            "Wow," Ranma joked thoughtfully, "this is almost enough to make me want to stay with you guys!"

            Sano and Seiji's eyes widened with surprise, glittering dramatically with unshed tears of joy. Their dad was going to stay! Oh, happy days!

            Ranma looked at his sons' widened and joy filled eyes suspiciously. The reasons he had told them earlier had still yet to sink in. _Gods, I shouldn't have stayed away for so long,_ he thought painfully. _This is what I get for letting them stay under her influence for so long: a lot of thick headedness. _The older man sighed and waited for the unnecessary glittering to stop.

            "Would you really stay with us?" Sano asked hopefully, the unshed tear look gone from his face.

            "If Mom gets better then you can stay, right?" Seiji added with more hope in his voice and more unshed tears glittering in his eyes.

            "Stop it, Seiji! You're gonna make me lose my dinner!" Ranma said in mock disgust, a pink tongue poking through his frowning lips. Sano laughed loudly at his brother as Seiji glared at his father. In a huff, the youngest crossed his arms and pouted on the floor.

            Sano's laughs quieted slowly as the boy attempted to calm himself. He ignored his indignant brother and shifted his attention toward his father. "What are you doing next week, uh, Wednesday, Dad?"

            After careful consideration of the question, Ranma decided it was safe enough to answer, "Nothing," but as an afterthought asked why.

            Sano had thought carefully about how to get his father to agree to go to the Career Day assembly _and _give a speech. "Well, since you are the World Champion Martial Artist," the boy stated gesturing to the posters around Seiji's room, "we thought that it would be great if you spoke to our school about it."

            Ranma broke out a very wide grin and puffed out his chest.

            _I knew inflating his pride would do the trick_, Sano smirked to himself, trying very hard not to laugh.

            "So you will?" Seiji asked enthusiastically. Ranma sat on the bed quietly, and after waiting a few minutes (just to make his sons sweat it out, of course) he nodded once. Seiji and Sano cheered enthusiastically, and were quickly shushed by their father.

            "You two do want me to get caught here, don't you?" the two boys' father asked suspiciously, his question greeted by gales of laughter. Irritated by their obvious evil-ness, Ranma walked toward the window, ignoring the two boys' weak protests for him to stop because they were just kidding and did not really want him to leave so soon after arriving.

            "Ah, dad! Leaving so soon?" Seiji half-whined in the general direction of the window. His eyes were full of unshed tears of laughter, and the boy began hiccupping soon after the question, sending both him and his brother further into their mirth.

            "I'm going to visit your grandmother," Ranma stated, eyebrows raised as he watched his sons laughing hysterically. It did not seem that they would stop soon, and the man shook his head sadly, holding his head in his hand and muttering to himself about leaving alone too long with their mother. "I'll be back soon, kids!"

            Seiji burst through his gleeful state and shouted that there were no baby goats present, but Sano shushed him, much to the younger boy's dismay. Their father had disappeared through the window again and into the quiet night.

            "Well, that went well," Sano said, calming down slowly, "don't you think?"

            "Yeah, well, he didn't have to call us _kids_," Seiji said sulking, the word rolling off his tongue with utter contempt.

            "A small setback, I'm sure," Sano supposed. Ignoring his brother's sputtering of indignation, the older boy continued eyes focused on the small gift-wrapped present sitting quietly on Seiji's bed, "Besides, he left us something to take care of." Sano gently lifted the package to his eye level and inspected it without obviously hurting the colorful paper and ribbon.

            "What do you think it is?" Seiji inquired, his former irritable self vanishing quickly. The younger boy poked the box but nothing happened, and he shrugged, curiosity satiated.

            "Well, it's gotta be something nice since he went out to get it." Sano looked at the box strangely, "Though I don't think he left it here on purpose."

            Seiji shrugged once more, uninterested, and reclined on his bed, hands pillowing his head.

            Sano continued on, ignoring his brother's obvious loss of attention, "At least our plan is in motion now. They will meet soon, and we will be a family again."

            Sano sighed, tossing the gift to his brother when he opened his eyes. Seiji caught it at the last moment and let out a breath of air he did not realize he was holding.

            "See you tomorrow, little brother."

            "G'night."

-----

            Akane looked toward the ceiling, smiling as she heard the laughter of her sons. Kasumi and her family, and Nabiki and Kuno have all gone home for the night, Ryouga wandered to the dojo and Soun retired for the night, leaving the woman sitting on a _zabuton_ and alone in her living room. The television kept her company though, as she wrapped herself in a sturdy faded yellow blanket and American sitcoms with Japanese subtitles. A cup of hot green tea sat on an elegantly decorated black coaster on the table next to her, whispering softly to her untrained ear. It told her to listen more closely that there was a third voice with her sons. The walls recognized the voice, rejoicing at the familiar happy sound. The voice quietly whispered in her ear to listen intently but was too hushed to register properly.

            Sighing, Akane snuggled further into the blanket and grabbed the steaming cup of tea, gently cradling it to her cold body. Ignoring the bright colors flowing steadily from the television set, she reflected upon what her family (_and Ryouga_, she thought sullenly) had told her earlier that day: about her lack of memories from her past and her long-lost husband who had disappeared long ago shortly after the accident. She scoffed quietly at the thought of Ranma Saotome being her husband, and of them happily married after years of chasing each other. Though she could not put her finger on it, she doubted the story ended there.

            The woman drummed her fingers against the hot cup of tea, and then quickly placed it back upon the coaster on the table as it hissed in indignation of her rough handling. A hot tear rolled down her cheek, and her hand flew toward her face to wipe hastily at the offensive tear away. She wondered quietly why she would be crying if she undoubtedly knew she could never have married such a conceited and arrogant jerk like Ranma Saotome.

            She knew of him through her sons' blatant obsession. Akane was usually forced to sit through hour long fighting spectacles where the man with the pigtail and shocking blue eyes would always win. She usually scoffed at this, waving off his countless number of wins to the way the fights were rigged. Though whenever he had a close up or they announced his newest victory, she couldn't help but smile inwardly and be incredibly proud of his accomplishment. This was usually followed by an hour of berating herself, telling her self that there was absolutely no way she could have known Ranma Saotome.

            She shivered. Just thinking of the name made a cold feeling creep quickly up her spine, and this moment was not unlike the other times she thought of him, trying to hid her movement. She did not let her family know that deep down she knew they were right, and she would have to face up to her unknown wild past.

            Softly, she reached for the remote and turned off the noisy box that was advertising a new cleaning agent for wooden floors. Akane rose from her seated position, folding the blanket and placing it in the corner. After straightening the room and putting her tea away in the kitchen, she shuffled toward the stairs. Grabbing the railing, she gasped. A hand flew to her temple, and if the banister had not been there, she was sure she would have collapsed noisily, unnecessarily grabbing her sons' attention.

            Akane pulled herself to the first step, sweat beading down her unmarred forehead, and sat unsteadily, still gripping the post with white knuckles. She reigned her breathing to calm, and she could feel her heart beat slow to a steadier and more normal pace. Her thoughts raced through her head, yelling to be brought to her immediate attention. Undaunted by her stream of thoughts, she forcefully pushed them all back and focused on calming herself. After a few minutes and another gale of laughter from above, she stood on sturdy legs and turned toward the stairs. Taking a big breath, she told herself she could handle walking up the stairs that she was sure she had once run up and down in her childhood.

            Akane trudged up the stairs with no more complications and stopped at Seiji's closed door. She placed her cool hand upon the Western-styled door. It was a simple door, nothing more than a slab of wood and a shiny doorknob. Smiling to herself, she let her hand drop from the door and turned to glide to the bathroom where she contemplated more on her memory problem and her newest discovery of her past.

            When she finished, she wandered to her room down the hall. She opened her door and sighed. She moved toward her dresser and proceeded to get her nightclothes, a pant and shirt set Kasumi had bought her for her last birthday. It was a soft yellow, covered in small ducklings facing many directions. It made her smile when she first received it, and tonight was no different. The pajamas gave her a feeling of security, something she lacked these few past weeks. She crawled under her covers of her queen-sized bed and pulled them up to her chin. She looked to the empty space on her left, feeling the cold space with her warm hand and drifted to dreamland wondering what it would be like for someone to share the bed with her.

-----

            Ranma squatted above his wife's window and sat patiently until the lamp flickered off. He hoped that none of the neighbors would think he was a burglar, though he dismissed the thought soon after it flitted through his mind. If his memory served him correctly, she would fall asleep within minutes after making herself comfortable in their large bed.

            _Our bed_, Ranma thought painfully.

            The old man fixated his feet so he could hang from the roof safely and open the oiled window to his old room with ease. Looking around, he saw that nothing had changed much. The bed sat near the window, and the desk he had gotten her shortly after they wed was still standing proudly adjacent to the closet door. A plain-looking book lay strewn on the desk, the cover quietly taunting his to open it and see what was written inside, but he quickly dismissed the thought, turning his attention to the sleeping woman. Carefully, like a thief, he crept toward the beautiful sleeping figure of his wife.

            He stood over her, a smile creeping on his face, and his hand reached toward her cheek to brush away a lock of hair that had fallen out of her loose ponytail. She seemed to react to his touch positively as she snuggled closer to the warmth of his hand. He grinned at the thought of her subconsciously remembering him, and he knew that all was not lost. Ranma bent toward his wife and gave her a lingering kiss on the same cheek he had touched, and she smiled and shifted toward him in her sleep. His smile became wider as he remembered that if she ever caught him in their high school days, the accusatory ring of _Pervert!_ would ring through the night, and she would knock him clear across half of Nerima.

            The digital clock that sat on a nightstand next to her side of the bed changed and caught his attention. Sadly, he knew he had to leave her. Again. It pained his heart, but he knew the time was not now. He would return to her when he knew it was safe, when she would not be put through needless pain anymore. Like a cat, Ranma moved toward the opened window. Besides, if she woke up and he was here, then he _would_ be taking another trip clear across Nerima. Smiling at the thought, he sat on the window ledge to gaze at the sleeping woman once more before he turned to leave.

            He hesitated and, throwing caution in the wind, he whispered an _I__ love you_ in her general direction before vaulting to the roof and gently closing the window so she would not get sick. He moved too swiftly, though because he did not hear her softly call to him.

            She had breathed an _I__ love you, Ranma_, and shifted in her peaceful, dreamless sleep.

-----

            For the next week, the household ran smoothly. No one brought up the subject of Akane's lost memories or her husband. She went through her weekly routine of cooking and going to work. When she returned home, she would do some chores and then start dinner for her two ravenous sons. Nothing disturbed her comfort zone.

            Ryouga tried to impress her time after time, but the woman constantly told him to get lost, so halfway through the week, he did just that, and no one had seen him since. Kasumi dropped by with her family every few days to have dinner with her little sister and her nephews, but Nabiki and Kuno were always busy, though they both promised to stop by on Sunday.

            Sano and Seiji were more quiet than usual, though no one noticed. They were thinking of all the great things that would happen when their father was finally allowed to stay with them. Consequently, Seiji was so excited that he told some of his friends from Furikan that Ranma Saotome agreed to talk at their Career Day celebration. The information spread like wildfire, and soon posters among posters decorated the lively halls of the school. During breaks, fascinating and exaggerated stories of the great martial artist were told, and even more fabrications made. Sano just shook his head when he found that his brother was the source of all of their father's free publicity. Hopefully, things would cool down by Wednesday.

-----

**[End chapter four]**

**A/n: **Kami, it took me forever to get this chapter out, and I'm _incredibly_ sorry for the delay! Two months _is _a very long time. TT;; Yup, but I do hope you have enjoyed this seemingly short chapter, though I made it longer than I initially planned on writing it. It has two extra scenes, too! :D Mmhmm, so now I'm gonna start working on **_[Chapter five]_** right after I eat breakfast!

Jya!


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